Sand dumping tool for down hole deposition of sand in oil and gas wells

ABSTRACT

A sand dumping tool which includes a sand chamber sub having a radially ported sand dumping cage connected to the lower end thereof. A valve member is reciprocably movable in the bore and is diametrically dimensioned to close the bore at a location above the ports in the cage. A shaft is connected to, and extends downwardly from, the valve member into a reduced bore formed in a cage neck extension on the lower end of the sand dumping cage. Slidably positioned in the reduced bore in the neck extension of the sand dumping cage, and having a bore therethrough which slidably receives the shaft connected to the valve member, is a plunger which has a spring stop secured to the lower end thereof. A portion of the plunger extends to a position below the lower end of the sand dumping cage neck extension, and a compression spring is positioned between the sand dumping cage and the spring stop. An inner pin is extended through a radial port in the upper end of the plunger within the reduced bore of the neck extension, and into a registering port in the shaft. An outer pin is extended through a radial port formed in the sand dumping cage and into a registering port formed radially in the side of the plunger at a different location from the first port.

United States Patent 1191 Shirley [111 3,851,703 [451 Dec. 3, 1974 1 SAND DUMPING TOOL F OR DOWN HOLE Y DEPOSITION OF SAND IN OIL AND GAS WELLS [76] Inventor: Billie .1. Shirley, 12466 Trail Oak [5 7] ABSTRACT A sand dumping tool which includes a sand chamber sub having a radially ported sand dumping cage connected to the lower end thereof. A valve member is reciprocably movable in the bore and is diametrically dimensioned to close the bore at a location above the ports in the cage. A shaft is connected to, and extends downwardly from, the valve member into a reduced bore formed in a cage neck extension on the lower end of the sand dumping cage. Slidably positioned in the reduced bore in the neck extension of the sand dumping cage, and having a bore therethrough which slidably receives the shaft connected to the valve member, is a plunger which has a spring stop secured to the lower end thereof. A portion of the plunger extends to a position below the lower end of the sand dumping cage neck extension, and a compression spring is positioned between the sand dumping cage and the spring stop An inner pin is extended through a radial port in the upper end of the plunger within the reduced bore of the neck extension, and into a registering port in the shaft. An outer pin is extended through a radial port formed in the sand dumping cage and into a registering port formed radially in the side of the plunger at a different location from the first port.

52 us. Cl. 166/169 [51] Int. Cl E21b 33/13 [58] Field of Search 166/162-169, 166/110 [56] References Cited 9 UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,621,970 3/1927 Coates et a1. 166/169 2,013,863 9/1935 Slocum 166/166 2,124,188 7/1938 Dale 166/166 2,160,320 5/1939 Walker 166/166 2,223,265 11/1940 Mowrey 166/169 2,322,425 6/1943 Dempsey 166/166 2,896,722 7/1959 Barnes 1 166/162 3,097,698 7/1963 Corley et a1. 166/162 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLlCATlONS 716,378 8/1965 Canada 166/162 Primary Examiner-David H. Brown Attorney, Agent, 0r'Firm-William R. Laney aiaa a e ae 11 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEL 74 3.851.703

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SAND DUMPING TOOL FOR DOWN HOLE DEPOSITION OF SAND IN OIL AND GAS WELLS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to down hole tools useful in the completion of oil and gas wells and the production of oil and gas therefrom, and more particularly, to a sand dumping tool for depositing a quantity of sand at a predetermined location in a down hole environment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART Various types of tools have been previously provided for attachment on the lower end of, or in an intermediate portionof, tubing strings extended into an oil and gas well, or a water well, for the purpose of placement of cement, or in some cases, of gravel, at a down hole location where it is desired to provide a gravel pack or deposit cement. In many cases, these tools involve a tubular member in which the material to be deposited is carried into the well bore, and an activating mechanism which then provides openings at a predetermined location to release the material to be deposited from the housing or chamber in which it is carried. Many of the mechanisms which have been provided for accomplishing' such release have been complicated, or have been spring loaded in such a way that reliability of the tools in use is questioned, and sometimes the load of material to be deposited is not effectively released. Patents of this type include, for example, Chennault US. Pat. No. 2,140,072 and Hinderliter US. Pat. No. 1,858,501.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PRESENT INVENTION The present invention provides an improved tool for dumping sand or other dry particulate material at a particular location in a down hole environment so that a bed of sand can be established for purposes of packing, sealing or other uses in the course of completing, or enhancing, the production of subterranean minerals. The tool of the invention is simple in construction and reliable in operation and can be used to deliver a preselected quantity of sand to a precise location in a well bore. Broadly described, the sand dumping tool of the invention comprises a tubular member for carrying the sand and which will be hereinafter referred to as a sand chamber sub. The sand chamber sub has a radially ported sand dumping cage connected to the lower end thereof, and the cage may, if desired, be formed integrally with the sand chamber sub. A bore extends from the lower end of the cage to the upper end of the sand chamber sub, and the sub is adapted for connection in a tubing string to be lowered in the well, or may, in

some instances, be suspended in a tubing string on a wire line. .A valve member is reciprocably mounted in the bore, and is dimensioned to extend across and close the bore at a location above the radial ports formed through the side of the cage so-that discharge of sand from a point in the bore above the-radial ports is obstructed by the valve when it is positioned above the ports in a position to close the bore. Connected to the valve member and extending downwardly therefrom is an elongated shaft. The lower end portion of this shaft extends into a reduced bore formed in a neck extension secured to the lower end of the sand dumping cage. Projecting into this enlarged bore is a plunger which is reciprocably movable in the reduced bore, and which is itself provided with an axially extending bore which receives the lower end of the elongated shaft. The plunger carries at a lower end outside the neck extension, a spring stop plate, and a compression spring extends between an abutment on the dumping cage and the spring stop plate. The elongated shaft is arrested against reciprocating movement in the bore in the plunger by a shear pin extending into registering radial ports formed in the elongated shaft and in the plunger. The reciprocating movement of the plunger within the reduced bore in the neck extension is arrested by means of a second shear pin which extends through registering radial ports in the sand dumpling cage and in the plunger.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a reliable sand dumping tool which can be used for transporting a selected quantity of sand or other dry particulate material to a location within a well bore where it is desired to deposit the sand.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a sand dumping tool for down hole deposition of sand in oil and gas wells, which tool is relatively simple in construction and is reliable in operation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sand dumping tool which can be actuated in a down hole environment from a surface location, and which has relatively few moving parts.

Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of the invention is read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the sand dumping tool of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the sand dumping tool shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. I.

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Referring initially to FIG. I of the drawings, shown therein is a sand dumping tool constructed in accordance with the invention and designated generally by reference numeral 10. The tool 10 includes a sand chamber sub 12 which has an enlarged bore therethrough, and which is threaded at its upper end to facilitate engagement with the lower end of a tubing string extended into a well bore, or securement'to a wire line tool. The threaded lower end of the sand chamber sub 12 is threadedly engaged with a radially ported sand dumping cage 14 which has a bore formed therethrough of substantially the same diameter as that of the bore through the sand chamber sub 12. The cage 14 is provided with a plurality of radial ports 16 which communicate with the bore through the cage.

At its lower end, the sand dumping cage 14 is secured to, or can be formed integrally with, acage neck extension 18. The cage neck extension 18 is a tubular member having a lesser diameter than the diameter of the formed at the intersection of the cage neck extension with the cage. A frusto-conically shaped valve member 22 is secured to the upper end of an elongated shaft 24 which projects downwardly within the cage 14 and has its lower end positioned in an elongated bore 26 provided in a plunger 30. The plunger 30 is mounted in the bore of the cage neck extension 18 to facilitate sliding movement therein at certain times during the operation of the sand dumping tool as hereinafter described. Threaded into the lower end of the bore 26 through the plunger 30 is a spring stop plate 32 which provides an abutment contacted by the lower end of a helical compression spring 34. The upper end of the helical compression spring bears against an external, downwardly facing shoulder 36 formed on the lower end of the cage An inner shear pin 38 is extended through registering radial ports formed through the upper end portion of the plunger 30 and an intermediate portion of the shaft 24. Reciprocating movement of the shaft 24 within the bore 26 of the plunger 30 is thus prevented by the shear pin 38. An outer shear pin 40 is extended through registering radial ports formed in the lower end portion of the cage 14 and the upper end portion of the plunger 30.

OPERATION In the use of the sand dumping tool it) of the invention, a quantity of sand or other dry particulate material which is to be deposited in a down hole location is first loaded into the sand chamber sub 12. It will be apparent that the size of this sub and the bore therethrough can be varied to accommodate varying quantities of sand, according to the requirements which may obtain in a particular well completion or production situation. In use, the sand chamber sub 12 is secured to the lower end of a tubing string, or is suspended on a wire line and is lowered into the well bore to a point in the bore where the sand is to be released or dumped to provide a sand pack, or for other functional purpose. At this time, the tool is in the status depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2. It will be perceived that in this status, the frusto-conically shaped valve member 22 occupies a position in the bore of the sand chamber sub 12 where the sand carried in the sub is prevented from gravitating downwardly in the bore and being dumped from the tool through the radial ports 16 formed in the sand dumping cage 14.

The sand dumping tool is lowered in the well bore until it strikes an obstruction provided in the casing at a certain point in the well bore, or until it reaches the bottom of the hole. The latter situation will obtain in many instances where it is desired to build up a sand bed at the bottom of the hole and across a producing zone which may be located near the bottom of the hole.

In either case, the contact of the tool with such obstruc-' tion results in the spring stop plate 32 being forcibly contacted so that the plunger 30 tends to be driven upwardly in the cage neck extension 18. Sudden arrest of the downward movement of the sand dumping tool in the well bore also allows the downward momentum of the sand carried in the sand chamber sub 12 to impart a downward force to the valve member 22, tending to force it downwardly and cause the shaft. 24 to reciprocate downwardly in the elongated bore 26.

6 At IhlS time, one or both of the inner or outer shear pins 38 or'40 may be sheared. If the inner shear pin 38 is parted, the result will be that the shaft 24 will be free to move downwardly in the bore 26 formed in the plunger 30. As thevalve 22 attached to the shaft 24 moves downwa'rdlyJhe ports 16 in the sand dumping cage 14 are exposed, and sand from the interior of the cage can move outwardly. The frusto-conical surface of the valve member 22 has the effect of deflecting the sand outwardly through the several ports 16 in the cage 14, and thus evenly distributing the sand around the tool 10 in the well bore.

In the event that the inner shear pin 38 does not function efiectively, such as where the sand may have become wet or have been bridged across the bore in the sand chamber sub 12 to the extent that it does not impart a substantial downward force to the valve member 22, the outer shear pin 40 provides further assurance that the sand dumping tool will operate effectively. Thus, upon impact of the spring stop plate 32 with an .obstruction in the casing or upon the bottom of the well, a shear force is developed across the outer pin 40 as the plunger 30 tends to move upwardly in the bore through the cage neck extension 18. With the shearing of the outer pin 40, the plunger can undergo upward movement, causing the valve member 22 to be forced upwardly into the bed of sand within the sand chamber sub 12. The spring 34 is compressed and, upon release of the compressionpwill force the plunger 30 back downwardly within the bore in the cage neck extension until the valve member 22 comes to rest on the upwardly facing shoulder 20. At this time, the radial ports 16 in the dumping cage 14 are exposed, and the sand is discharged in a mannet hereinbefore described. Another effect of the upwar 18 is that the impact of the valve member 22 against the sand may cause the inner shear pin 38 to sheaf after the outer shear pin 40 has been broken inthe manner described. Again, under such circumstances, the shaft 24 may then move downwardly in the plunger 30 to release the sand for discharge through the ports 16.

Using the sand dumping tool of the invention, substantial quantities of sand or other particulate material can be lowered into awell bore in a protective environment in which the sand is protected from water and moisture and thus undergoes minimum caking within the sub. The sand can be released at a precise location within the wellbore to deposit the sand in an even bed around the tool at such location.

Although a preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein described in order to illustrate the manner in which the principles underlying the invention are used and are embodied in physical form, it will be understood that various changes and innovations in the structure depicted herein can be effected without departure from the basic principles of the invention. Changes and innovations 'of this type are therefore deemed to be circumscribed by the spirit and scope of the invention except as the same may be necessarily communicating with the radial portsthrough the cage;

a valve member reciprocably mounted in the bore through the cage and dimensioned to obstruct the bore through the cage and sub;

a tubular neck extension secured to and projecting from the opposite side of the cage from the sub;

an elongated plunger slidably mounted in the neck extension and having a portion projecting from the neck extension on the opposite side thereof from the cage, said plunger having an axially extending bore therein;

spring stop means on the portion of the plunger projecting from the neck extension;

an elongated shaft secured to the valve member and projecting slidingly into the bore in the plunger;

spring means mounted between said spring stop means and said cage for resiliently resisting sliding movement of said plunger in said neck extension in the direction of said cage; and

arresting means for arresting the movement of said shaft in the direction of the projecting portion of said plunger.

2. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim ll wherein said spring means comprises a helical spring around said neck extension and having one end bearing against said spring stop means and a second end bearing against said cage.

3. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said arresting means comprises a shear pin connecting said shaft to said plunger.

4. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said arresting means comprises a shear pin connecting said cage to said plunger.

5. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said dumping cage and tubular neck extension are formed as a single unit.

6. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring stop means comprises a spring stop plate threaded onto the exposed end of that portion of the plunger which projects from the neck extension.

7. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 6 and further characterizedas including a shear pin connecting said cage to said plunger.

8. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 7 wherein said dumping cage and tubular neck extension are formed as a single unit.

9. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 8 wherein said spring means comprises a helical spring around said neck extension and having one end bearing against said spring stop means and a second end bearing against said cage. v

10. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 9 wherein said arresting means comprises a shear pin connecting said shaft to said plunger.

11. A sand dumping tool comprising:

tubular means having a bore extending therethrough, and including a tubular member having ports extending through the side thereof into communication with said bore intermediate its length;

valve means movably mounted in said bore and movable to a position above said ports for obstructing said bore to prevent the gravitating movement of particulate material through the bore in one direction to the location of the ports;

a plunger slidably mounted in the bore through said tubular means on the opposite side of said ports from said valve means;

spring means positioned between the tubular member and the plunger for resisting sliding movement of the plunger in the tubular means toward said valve means; and

breakable pin means retaining said valve means against movement in said bore and including:

frangible means temporarily interlocking said plunger with said tubular member to prevent relative movement therebetween. 

1. A sand dumping tool for depositing a quantity of sand in a predetermined location in a well bore comprising: a tubular sand carrying sub; a radially ported sand dumping cage connected to the sub and having a bore therethrough aligned and communicating with a bore through said sub and communicating with the radial ports through the cage; a valve member reciprocably mounted in the bore through the cage and dimensioned to obstruct the bore through the cage and sub; a tubular neck extension secured to and projecting from the opposite side of the cage from the sub; an elongated plunger slidably mounted in the neck extension and having a portion projecting from the neck extension on the opposite side thereof from the cage, said plunger having an axially extending bore therein; spring stop means on the portion of the plunger projecting from the neck extension; an elongated shaft secured to the valve member and projecting slidingly into the bore in the plunger; spring means mounted between said spring stop means and said cage for resiliently resisting sliding movement of said plunger in said neck extension in the direction of said cage; and arresting means for arresting the movemenT of said shaft in the direction of the projecting portion of said plunger.
 1. A sand dumping tool for depositing a quantity of sand in a predetermined location in a well bore comprising: a tubular sand carrying sub; a radially ported sand dumping cage connected to the sub and having a bore therethrough aligned and communicating with a bore through said sub and communicating with the radial ports through the cage; a valve member reciprocably mounted in the bore through the cage and dimensioned to obstruct the bore through the cage and sub; a tubular neck extension secured to and projecting from the opposite side of the cage from the sub; an elongated plunger slidably mounted in the neck extension and having a portion projecting from the neck extension on the opposite side thereof from the cage, said plunger having an axially extending bore therein; spring stop means on the portion of the plunger projecting from the neck extension; an elongated shaft secured to the valve member and projecting slidingly into the bore in the plunger; spring means mounted between said spring stop means and said cage for resiliently resisting sliding movement of said plunger in said neck extension in the direction of said cage; and arresting means for arresting the movemenT of said shaft in the direction of the projecting portion of said plunger.
 2. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring means comprises a helical spring around said neck extension and having one end bearing against said spring stop means and a second end bearing against said cage.
 3. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said arresting means comprises a shear pin connecting said shaft to said plunger.
 4. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said arresting means comprises a shear pin connecting said cage to said plunger.
 5. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said dumping cage and tubular neck extension are formed as a single unit.
 6. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 1 wherein said spring stop means comprises a spring stop plate threaded onto the exposed end of that portion of the plunger which projects from the neck extension.
 7. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 6 and further characterized as including a shear pin connecting said cage to said plunger.
 8. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 7 wherein said dumping cage and tubular neck extension are formed as a single unit.
 9. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 8 wherein said spring means comprises a helical spring around said neck extension and having one end bearing against said spring stop means and a second end bearing against said cage.
 10. A sand dumping tool as defined in claim 9 wherein said arresting means comprises a shear pin connecting said shaft to said plunger. 